THE MARIAN PICKERING MEMORIAL FUND

With the unexpected passing of Marian Pickering in October 2005, Ottawa’s music community lost a respected and delightful friend. On the evening of Monday, November 13, 2006, the Ottawa Choral Society and the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra paid tribute to Marian with a performance of one of her favourite works, Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) by Johannes Brahms. 

Following the performance, Marian’s friends gathered at a reception to celebrate her life at which her friend, Dr. David Gardner, the principal cellist of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, recalled with fond affection, the friend whom we all admired for her wisdom, humour, humanity and superb management skills.  Maestro David Currie spoke about the Ottawa Symphony’s gratitude to Marian and offered his support for the Ottawa Choral Society’s move to create a memorial for Marian as a lasting gesture of our gratitude for the more than two decades that she was Choir Manager and later, the first General Manager of the Symphony.  

We felt that it was important that such a memorial reflect the deep delight Marian took in helping gifted young people to succeed in their careers. As it happened, an already existing programme of the Choral Society, the OCS New Discoveries Auditions for Young Artists, seemed to be a fit made in Heaven.

The Choral Society initiated the biennial New Discoveries Auditions in the early 1990’s under the guidance of its former Music Director Iwan Edwards. In the ensuing years, the Choir has indeed made many brilliant ‘discoveries’, among them soprano Shannon Mercer, mezzo Helene Couture and tenor Michael Colvin. The four outstanding winners of the 2006 competition are equally exciting. Starting in 2007, the New Discoveries program has been enhanced to include a Winners Showcase Recital, which features the young singers in recital with the Choral Society’s Music Director, Matthew Larkin, at the piano. 

We hope that you will want to make a gift to the Marian Pickering Memorial Fund in memory of our friend who committed so much of her life to helping make music happen in our community.

Some facts you need to know: 

• Your donations will be managed by the Choral Society ‘in trust’ for the Marian Pickering Memorial Fund; only the interest revenue will be used to sustain the New Discoveries Auditions and its Winners Showcase Recital.
• The Ottawa Choral Society is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization with a volunteer board of directors - Registration No. 898060264RR0001.
• You will receive an income tax receipt for the full amount of your donation.
• If you are donating from outside of Canada, it may be possible to receive a tax receipt from the country in which you pay taxes. Please contact us for further information. 
• Your support of $75.00 or more to the Memorial Fund will be acknowledged in the Choir’s concert programmes.
• As a donor to the Marian Pickering Memorial Fund, you and your guest will be invited to join us for Winners Showcase Recitals, and the post-concert receptions to meet the artists.

We have already received a substantial donation to launch the Fund. With your help, the Marian Pickering Memorial Fund will grow and make a positive and enduring contribution to the Choral Arts in our community and our country.

Please accept my thanks for your gift, on behalf of the Ottawa Choral Society and the young artists of the future.

Maggie McCoy

Coordinator, OCS New Discoveries

For more information:

newdiscoveries@ottawachoralsociety.com

There are two ways to donate:
Online via PayPal, or
Download, print, and send a Pledge Form